Diversity of Chilean wines showcased at international event

Chilean wines—thanks to the wide variety of terroirs and climates across the long, diverse country—are a fusion of classic and non traditional flavors offering something for every wine enthusiast and casual wino out there.

Last month Pro Chile and Wines of Chile teamed up to showcase the many exciting flavors of Chilean wine at the Dranken Pakket Expo (Drinks Pack Expo) in the Netherlands. This year the annual two-day spirits and wines fair hosted a seminar jointly held by the two organizations and led by prominent Chilean winemaker Rafael Urrejola on Tasting Chilean Diversity.

This is the second time that the two organizations have been invited to the major international event. This year they were sure to highlight top quality vineyards and labels to the perceptive market in the Netherlands, where 3 million bottles of Chilean wine are shipped annually.

Featuring nine distinct wines from across Chile —including vintages from Casablanca and Cahapoal in the central valley all the way to Tarapacá in the country’s far north — this year’s seminar really emphasized the breadth of Chilean wine variety. Urrejola, Winemaking Director of award-winning Viña Undurraga located just outside of Santiago, also included his own Terroir Hunter Pinot Noir from Leyda in the seminar.

Viña Undurraga has been conducting studies into the many Chilean terroirs, and the work has been paying off. Thanks to the efforts of Urrejola and others in the winemaking team, the vineyard has been winning awards and international accolades such as the 2013 International Wine Challenge (IWC) Trophy naming it the best Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile and taking home 10 awards at the Sommelier Wine Awards in the UK this past May.

The other labels included in this year’s seminar came from Casa Del Bosque, Tarapacá, Emiliana, Santa Carolina, Santa Rita, Valdivieso, Montes Alpha, and Odfjell Vineyards.

Chilean wine has been shining on the international stage in recent years, with 18 Chilean wines making the “Gold List” at the Uk Sommelier Wine Awards this year and further accolades coming at the “The World’s Icons Judgment” in Korea this past June.